50 Fun, Free Ways to Have a Great Time With Friends

Meeting friends for dinner and a movie is one way to spend a weekend night. But sometimes, you may not have the budget or the desire to hit the town. Fortunately, you don't have to venture out to have a good time. Whether you're getting together with three or ten of your closest friends, here are 50 fun, free things you can do when you invite friends over. (See also: 10 Frugal Ways to Hang Out With Friends)

1. Post Videos to YouTube

Get creative and come up with a comedy skit, a short movie, or commentary on an important or trending event. Upload your video and share it with your friends on social media; and you might become the next viral hit.

2. Host a Spa Day at Home

You don't have to spend hundreds to enjoy a spa day. Invite a few of your closest friends to the house and give each other makeovers. Check out online tutorials and experiment with hairstyle and makeup tricks. (See also: DIY Spa Treatments)

3. Watch Reruns of Old Shows

Pick a classic show, such as "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Saved by the Bell", or "Good Times," or whatever your favorite is. See if these episodes are available on Netflix or Amazon Prime, and binge.

4. Make a Bucket List

Ask each person to write a list of 10 to 20 things they want to do before they die. Compare lists to see if you have anything in common with your friends. (See also: What's on Your Travel Bucket List?)

5. Play "Michael Jackson: The Experience"

Get moving and enjoy a few laughs at the same time. Turn on your Wii, pop in the disc, and spend the next couple of hours reliving the '80s and '90s. Or play another fun, movement-based video game.

6. Musical Chairs

Childhood fun doesn't have to end just because you're a little older. With only three or four people — and one less chair — it'll be a night that you'll never forget.

7. Write a Parody of a Song

Take a popular song and alter the lyrics to poke fun or ridicule the original work.

8. Bake Cookies

9. Explore YouTube

Search YouTube and find the next undiscovered viral video. Make sure you share this video across your various social media networks.

10. Sing Together

Pull out the karaoke machine or connect your iPod to speakers and sing along to some of your favorite tunes.

11. Host a Slumber Party

Ask everyone to bring their favorite game, drink, and junk food. Your friends can hang out all night and drive home in the morning.

12. Host a Cinema Trilogy Marathon

Have a marathon where the group watches some of the best trilogies in one night, such as "Back to the Future" or "Star Wars." (See also: How to Host a Movie Night)

13. Play Monopoly (or Any Other Board Game)

Break out the Monopoly board and you're guaranteed three to four hours of fun.

14. Make Your Own Ice Cream Creation

Start with plain vanilla or chocolate ice cream, and then add toppings according to what's available in your kitchen. Maybe a crushed candy bar, peanuts, cookies, and any other sweet treat hiding in your cabinet.

15. Water Balloon Fight

Maybe the beach or pool is too far away. Fill a bunch of balloons with water, and enjoy classic summer fun with your friends.

16. Roast Marshmallows

All you need are graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate — and of course, a fireplace or outdoor fire pit.

17. Design T-Shirts

If you have tie-dye dye, tell your friends to bring over an old white T-shirt, tank top, or scarf. It's a fun way to get in touch with your creative and hippie side.

18. Play Poker

This isn't the smartest choice if you're broke or trying to save money. But if you play with candy, chips, and cookies instead of cash, you can have an enjoyable time without going broke.

19. Play Spades

Here's another fun card game that doesn't involve spending your hard-earned cash. If you're bored with spades, head online and check out instructions for new card games.

20. Pillow Fight

Grab a few throw pillows from the couch or pillows from the bedroom and have a playful smack down.

21. Soul Train Line

Put on some disco or R&B tunes from the 70s or 80s and show off your classic dance moves.

22. Play Twister

Relive your childhood with a game that's certain to end with laughs and new memories.

23. Reminisce

Think back to when you first met each other. Was it a funny or unique circumstance? Share this memory with the group.

24. Play Tug-of-War

All you need is a jump rope and two or three people on each side. The losing team has to buy drinks the next time you go out.

25. Play Bartender

Using only what's available in your cabinet and refrigerator, come up with new drink concoctions. (See also: 20 Two-Ingredient Cocktails)

26. Tell Scary Stories

Turn off the lights and tell scary stories — either true or fictional.

27. Play Truth or Dare

This is the perfect opportunity to get answers to your most burning questions. And if your friend chooses dare, make it a good one.

28. Blind Taste Test

Blindfold a friend. Give this person food or a drink to taste, and have him guess what it is.

29. Build a Snowman

Enjoy a snow day and build a snowman. If there's enough snow on the ground, build a snow mountain and slide down.

30. Make Up a Funny Story

Start a story and have each person in the room add a funny line. Turn on your recorder if you want to be able to laugh about it later.

31. Wii Tennis Tournament

If it's too cold to hit the actual pavement, invite a few friends over for an indoor tennis tournament. Each person will play the winner from the previous game until there's one man standing.

32. Make Paper Airplanes

Construct paper airplanes and have a contest to see whose design flies the farthest.

33. Play in the Rain

As long as it isn't thundering, flashing lightning, or too cold, enjoy a game of frisbee or kickball in the rain.

34. Play Hide and Seek

With no room off-limit, you can have a fun game of hide and seek throughout your entire house.

35. Play Marco Polo With a Water Hose

You don't need a pool to enjoy this kind of fun. Have the "it" person hold a water hose and spray in the direction of voices.

36. Look Through Your Old Yearbooks

Look at old photographs and poke fun at your unique and outdated styles.

37. Play the Telephone Game

The more people you have playing, the better. Whisper a long sentence into the first person's ear, and this person will whisper the same message to the next person, and so forth. Have the last person say the message out loud, and see what you get.

38. Play Pictionary

You don't have to be the best artist to enjoy this game. As a matter of fact, the inability to draw is part of the fun. And you don't even need the official board — all you need is a word list and a few rules.

39. Play Indoor Foot Volleyball

Grab a soft, plastic ball, and using only your feet, try to keep the ball in the air.

40. Play Digital Hot Potato

You'll need a camera with a timer to enjoy this game. Set the timer, and then pass the camera around the room. Each person should hold the camera for two seconds before passing it to the next person. You're eliminated from the game if the camera snaps while in your hands. Keep going until there's one person left in the game.

41. Host a Poetry Night

Get in touch with your cultural side and invite over a few poetry lovers. Each can share his or her personal poetry or recite a favorite poem written by another person.

42. Name That Tune

Grab your iPod and play a snippet of a few songs. The first person to identify the song should blurt out the answer.

43. Learn Something New

Have a friend who knows how to play guitar? Have her teach everyone — and when someone else is playing, everyone can sing along!

44. Gargle Songs

Take a sip of water and then gargle your favorite song as your friends guess the tune.

45. Play Limbo

Grab a broomstick and your most upbeat playlist, and see how low you can go.

46. Play Six Degrees of Separation

This is by far one of my favorites. Pick two celebrities at random and have each person in the room write down how they're connected either through their movies or romantic past. The friend with the shortest link wins.

47. "Would You Rather"

Another fun game. Give a friend two choices and ask which one he would rather do. The more bizarre the choices, the more fun you'll have.

48. Watch Cult Classics

"Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," or "The Lost Boys" — if anyone in your group hasn't seen any of these flicks or other cult classics, spend a night playing catch-up.

49. Have a Craft Night

Using items you and your friends have around, have a craft night! You can make cards, knit, or do whatever else you feel like.

50. Wooden Spoons

Blindfold the "it" person and give this person a pair of wooden spoons. The object is to touch and identify another person using only the spoons.

Do you have other fun, free activities that you and your friends can do when they come over? Let me know in the comments below.

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During my college days, my friends usually slept over at my place. We used to play cards and board games, sing our heart out, food trip and we did a movie marathon. Oh, how I wish I could turn back the time, it was really fun, but now I prefer to play with my seven-year old daughter.